Jack's Mannequin
People and Things
Release Date: Oct 4, 2011
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Emo-Pop
Record label: Sire
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Album Review: People and Things by Jack's Mannequin
Satisfactory, Based on 5 Critics
Based on rating 7/10
Stronger than The Glass Passenger and spottier than Everything in Transit, the third album by Jack’s Mannequin finds frontman Andrew McMahon consolidating his strengths in a post-cancer world. He writes his best songs whenever he doesn’t try to tackle big issues, meaning the heady ballads miss the mark while the zippy, happy-go-lucky numbers -- including “Amy, I” and the propulsive opener, “My Racing Thoughts” -- deliver the biggest melodic punch. McMahon’s recovery from leukemia has left him introspective, but his roots are in Something Corporate’s buoyant, punky pop, which leaves People and Things stuck between two extremes.
Based on rating 7/10
Stronger than The Glass Passenger and spottier than Everything in Transit, the third album by Jack’s Mannequin finds frontman Andrew McMahon consolidating his strengths in a post-cancer world. He writes his best songs whenever he doesn’t try to tackle big issues, meaning the heady ballads miss the mark while the zippy, happy-go-lucky numbers -- including “Amy, I” and the propulsive opener, “My Racing Thoughts” -- deliver the biggest melodic punch. McMahon’s recovery from leukemia has left him introspective, but his roots are in Something Corporate’s buoyant, punky pop, which leaves People and Things stuck between two extremes.
Based on rating C-
Andrew McMahon has been through a lot in the last seven-plus years, between reaching the heights of stardom with Something Corporate and his first solo album as Jack’s Mannequin and then being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2005. Most artists would take some sort of break after beating a horrible disease, but instead McMahon went right back to work—releasing a new album three years later. Now, he returns again with People and Things, his latest effort that focuses on finding normalcy whilst still showing the signs of a rough brush with death.
Based on rating 4/10
People and Things is an interesting name for Jack’s Mannequin’s third studio outing. In reality, that title could apply to any number of records, most of which musically and lyrically are occupied by, well, people and things. Front man Andrew McMahon is clearly well versed in the art of brevity, but the rest of People and Things probably takes the title’s conciseness a bit too far.
Opinion: Excellent
After surviving the breakup of his teen band Something Corporate and a life threatening battle with leukemia, Jack’s Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon is once again focusing his attention on what he does best, which is making poignant, piano-based alt-rock. On JM’s third album People and Things, McMahon and company (Bobby Anderson, Jay McMillan, with guest appearances by current Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Soul Coughing’s Sebastian Steinberg) tackle themes concerning everyday struggles of life and immortality. Kicking off the set is first single “My Racing Thoughts,” which is a superb piece of piano rock that rivals some of Elton John’s best ’70s hits.
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